1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to closures for use on containers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a closure for use on a container wherein a separate adapter band is mounted to the closure to convert an ordinarily non-child-resistant closure to a safety closure having child-resistant features.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is often desirable to provide a safety closure for use on a container wherein the safety closure and the container are respectively provided with cooperating locking means to inhibit access thereto by individuals of tender age. It is well-known in the prior art to threadingly fit a safety closure upon a neck portion of a container, wherein engageable locking lugs project from opposing mating portions of the safety closure and of the container neck, respectively. The cooperation of the engaged locking lugs and the threaded fit therebetween prevents removal rotation of the safety closure without first overcoming the engagement of the locking lugs. It is therefore desirable to provide a safety closure threadingly fit upon a container neck portion, wherein the safety closure and the container neck portion are provided with cooperating locking lugs.
However, engageable safety closures and container neck portions typical of those found in the prior art are pre-formed having the respective locking lugs integrally molded therewith. Thus, to utilize the locking lugs provided on a particular container neck portion, a specific safety closure having mating locking lugs must be formed and provided for use therewith. A closure not being provided with engageable locking lugs will not provide locking engagement with the container neck portion. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an adapter band for use on an existing non-child-resistant closure to convert the non-child-resistant closure to a safety closure having child-resistant features, wherein the safety closure child-resistant features are engageable with cooperating child-resistant features provided on a container neck portion.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,321 to Gach, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,026 to Leonhardt teach tamper-indicating bands for use on threaded caps. It is desirable, however, to further provide a tamper-indicating adapter band for use on an existing non-child-resistant closure to convert the non-child-resistant closure to a safety closure having child-resistant features, wherein the safety closure child-resistant features are engageable with cooperating child-resistant features provided on a container neck portion and wherein the adapter band provides an indication of tampering therewith.
It is even further desirable to provide an adapter band for use on an existing non-child-resistant closure to convert the non-child resistant closure to a safety closure having child-resistant features, wherein the adapter band is provided with means to convert a non-child-resistant container neck portion to a container neck portion having child-resistant features cooperable with the child-resistant features provided on the safety closure.